The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and can not constitute prior art.
Weapons, such as underwater mines or munitions which have been sunk, are often still located in waterways decades after hostile action. Such weapons represent a potential hazard both for marine navigation and for the environment. There is, therefore, a requirement for efficient, low-cost and safe clearance of such weapons.
It is known to use unmanned underwater vehicles as mine destruction drones and thus as weapon clearance devices for clearing weapons. Such mine destruction drones are fitted with hollow charges with only a small amount of explosives, for example with a mass of one to two kilograms. For mine destruction and/or generally for weapon removal, the mine destruction drone is moved directly adjacent to the object to be destroyed, substantially from one side, and by means of a retaining device fixed to the object or in the region of the object and/or weapon, e.g., the surrounding area of the weapon, then the hollow charge is fired inside the underwater vehicle, the underwater vehicle being detonated together with the object. This method is highly efficient and also only requires a small amount of explosives. However, the method is costly since an underwater vehicle is lost whenever it is used. Additionally, mines which have sunk at least partially into the sea bed are not able to be reached in this manner or only to a limited extent. Also, approaching floating mines from the side is difficult due to waves and swell.